Apparatus for comminuting and classifying tobacco



Patented June 27,1939 w 2,163,833

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR COMlVIINUTl'NG AND CLA SSIFYING TOBACCO Oswald Erich Eissmann, Dresden, Germany, assignor to Universelle Cigarettenmaschinen- Fabrik J. C. Muller & 00., Dresden, Germany Application October 9, 1935, Serial No. 44,287

. In Germany October 13, 1934 a 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-60) The present invention relates to an apparatus sectional view in vertical longitudinal section for cutting up tobacco leaves and then classifythrough an embodiment of the invention and ing the portions of the tobacco leaves after they Figure 2 is a detail view of a comb prong bar 7 have been out. I usedin the comminuting apparatus. 7.

Devices for comminuting and cutting up to- Referring to the drawing the raw tobacco bacco leaves are well known and also devices for leaves are introduced into the hopper. i which classifying the leaf portions are also well known." has a bottom 2 formed as an inclined chute so Heretofore these prior arrangements have been that the leaves placed in the hopper will pass separately constructed units with special conthrough the passage 3. The leaves passing m veyor means leading from the cutting apparatus through the passage 3 are engaged by the tines w to the classifying apparatus. or prongs t and are stripped or stemmed. The

In accordance with the present invention the tines are mounted on the bars 5 shown particucomminuting and cutting apparatus is directly larly in Figure 2 and the bars 5 are attached to combined with a classifying apparatus which is a support 5 which rotates in the direction of the of the pneumatic type in a housing in which a arrow. Cooperating with the comb prong device M screen is used which subdivides the point of conis a pin roller 7 which rotates in the direction of nection between the two devices. By means of the arrow more rapidly than the support 6 with the present invention therefore an intermediate the prongs d and the pins t of the pin roller I conveyor between the comminuting device and engage in the interstices of the comb tines in the separating apparatus is rendered unnecessary. order to remove the hanging leaf portions and It is an object of the invention to provide an carry them along. The leaf portions are thrown arrangement wherein the raw tobacco leaves are oh the pin roller and pass through the interadvanced in a hopper or passageway into the stices of a screen grating s.

comminuting apparatus and at the discharge Located below the rotating support 6 and the opening of the passageway comb prong bars are pin roller i are the screens it and H which are mounted on a rotary support which come into curved concentrically with relation to the rotataction for commlnuting the advancing leaf por-- ing members 8 and I and over which the leaf tions of the tobacco and cooperating therewith a portions are carried. Thereby the sand and other rotating beater cross, pin roller, or the like is adhering contaminations or heavy particles are provided. The pins of the pin roller engage the detached at this point and drop down through 0 leaf strips hanging upon the comb prongs and the screen openings into the collecting receptacle deliver them through a screen grating into the i2. I separating and classifying mechanism. The leaf portions upon the other hand, are car- The classifying apparatus in accordance with ried by an upwardly directed air current through the invention, may be of any type. The preferred the interstices of the screen 9 above mentioned,

type illustrated in the present application coninto the passage 13. The air current is oi such sists of a construction wherein the comminuted strength and is so calculated that the heavier leaf portions pass into a passage which is subleaf portions such as the stems, will drop downdivided by partitions and through which the wardly and be carried oil? through the outlet l4 au for co ey h leaf portions passes. located at the lower portion of the passage I3. 40

The classifying apparatus is also provided with The lighter leaf portions on the other hand, will outlets for the various classified leaf portions. I be i d by th ir stream into the separator In accordance with the present invention the |5 i h i b-di ided by the screen 16. The raw tobacco leaves are not supplied to the comt laden n; ill pass through the screen It minuting device by means of conveyor rollers, t t discharge pipe I! and, the leaf portions conveyor bands or the like, but is supplied thereto will k downwardly nd a s into the sluice l8 y means of n inclined chute which forms the which is provided with the rotary cross member bottom of a delivery passage and by this means is. The stem portions and the lighter leaf porthe length of the apparatus is shortened. tions are thereby separated at two fairly closely With the above and other objects in view which dja ent points and may be collected in various will become apparent as the description proceeds, containers or the like held in readiness therefor.

the invention consists in the combination and The screen 2 is constructed so 'as to be interarrangement of parts set forth below and shown changeable so that different screens may be inthe drawing, in which: mounted in the positions shown for different Figure. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a cross kinds of tobacco. The various interchangeable 55 screens will be provided with larger or smaller in conformity with the type of tobacco being operated upon.

The rear wall 29 of the passage II is constructed adjustably by having the attaching screws 2! pass through slots 22 located in the laws 23 upon the lateral walls of the device. By means of this adjustment the cross section of the passage it may be varied so as to correspond to the prevailing operative conditions. 7

In the embodiment illustrated it is assumed that a suction fan is connected with the pipe I1. Compressed air might, if desired, be used for conveying the tobacco portions.

Located adjacent the base frame G is the fan 2! having the intake pipe 25 whereby the fan empties into the housing of the communicating apparatus. The fan is driven by a belt pulley 26 which passes over the drive pulley 21. The latter is attached on the shaft 28 of the electric motor 29 mounted on the machine frame G. The drive belt 2 is also passed over the drive pulleys 30 and 3! which are attached on the shaft 32 of the rotary support '6 and shaft 33 of the pin roller I. A tension roller 34 cooperates with the belt 26 so as to maintain proper positioning of the belt on the puley 35 mounted on the fan shaft.

A second belt pulley 3'5 is positioned on the shaft 32 and is connected with the pulley 38 on the shaft 39 of the sluice flywheel I! by the belt 31.

Any comminuting apparatus for the raw tobacco leaves may be used and for the purposes of the invention it is merely essential that such comminuting apparatus should be located in a housing which has a lower discharge opening for the heavy comminuted portions of the leaf such as the stems, and that the wall of such housing should be provided with passages and outlets for the lighter leaf portions. Also in accordance with the invention the pneumatic sorting apparatus should be connected directly with the above mentioned outlets and passages whereby the light leaf portions may be carried therealong by the air current.

An essential feature of the invention is forming one wall of the housing as a screen and the classifying and sorting device is connected directly with this wall. In the sorting apparatus the leaf portions may be sorted in any desired manner whereby heavier portions will pass through one passageway and lighter portions through another.

With regard tothe comminuting apparatus disclosed above, the tobacco leaves pass in layers through the passageway 3 into the comminuting apparatus. The comb prongs l rotate at the end-of this passage. These prongs are as illustrated, located on a plate 5 which is as wide as the passage opening and two of such plates 5 are attached to the supporting member 6 which is mounted upon the shaft 32.

From the construction it is obvious that the prongs will engage from above upon the layer of tobacco leaves projecting from the passage opening and will strip theleaf portions from the...

stems and thereby remove the tobacco leaves from the tobacco stems. The stem portions and the stems are carried downwardly therewith and the stems will pass ofl through the bottom opening of the housing by their own weight.

The strip portions of the tobacco leaves which remain hanging on the prongs are stripped off by the pin roller I since the pins 8 of the pin roller I pass within the interstices of the comb prongs or tines 4. If any stem. portions are engaged by the pins they will drop out through the bottom opening of the housing. The remaining strip portions of the leaves are thrown against the screen 9 and are there taken oil by the air current of the pneumatic sorting apparatus.

The screen It serves to separate the dust from the lighter portions of the tobacco leaves.

I claim:

1. A tobacco classifying device comprising a housing, cutting means located within said housing, said housing having a (fischarge opening in the bottom thereof for the heavier portions of the tobacco, said housing having a second opening for the lighter leaf portions of the tobacco, a sorting device connected to said housing adjacent said second opening, screens covering said openings, a channel in said sorting device extending from said second opening in said housing, an adjustable wall forming a wall of said channel, a screen located in said sorting device and suction means conveying said lighter leaf portions from said cutting means through said sorting device.

2. A tobacco. clasifying device comprising a housing, a feed chute located in said housing, a rotary support adjacent the outlet of said chute having prong bars thereon for stripping leaf portions from the stems of the tobacco leaves, a roller having pins thereon cooperating with said prong bars for removing the leaf portions therefrom, a discharge opening in said housing located below said prong bars through which the heavier portions of the tobacco will fall by gravity, a screened opening adjacent said pin roller through which the lighter .leaf portions are carried by a current of air, a sorting device receiving said lighter leaf portions as they leave said screen, a plurality of discharge openings in said sorting device and a dust screen located in said sorting device.

3. A tobacco classifying device comprising a housing. rotary cutting means located within said housing, screens positioned below said cutting means, said housing having a discharge opening located at the bottom thereof for receiving the heavier portions of the tobacco, a fan located below said rotary cutting means, said housing having an opening located in a wall thereof for the.

lighter leaf portions of the tobacco, a passageway extending from said last named opening for the lighter leaf portions, means for enlarging or constricting said passageway, a. discharge opening leading from said passageway for the heavier portions of the lighter leaf portions, 2. second discharge opening for the lighter leaf portions of the tobacco and a sluice controlling said last named discharge opening.

4. A tobacco classifying device comprising a housing, stem stripping means located within said u housing, preliminary sorting means associated with said stripping means having an outlet for the heavier tobacco portions and an outlet for the lighter tobacco portions, an ascending classifying passage communicating with said outlet for'said lighter tobacco portions having an outlet any stems or heavier tobacco portions not sorted bysaid preliminary sorting means, a hopper with which said passage communicates, a.

dust screen located in said hopper, said hopper having'an outlet for the lighter leaf portions, a sluice gate closing said hopper outlet and means for creating an air current through" said housing.

OSWALD ERICH EISSMANN. 

